Dave Smith Instruments SYNTHESIZERS

On Sun, 17 Nov 2002 23:11:04 -0500, "Ravi Ivan Sharma"
<noision1@...> wrote:


>Not sure how the sequencer works with all that--not even sure how the sequencer works with 
>just two or more evolvers? Anyone have two care to comment?

I wish. Having used mine for a while now, there are a couple of little
tweaks I'd love to see to make the sequencers more useful generally.
The problem is the user interface, of course.

I'd like to see different clock divisions available for Seq2-4 other
than being tied to the main one. There's no reason they should be as
they only send control signals and don't control envelopes. 

I'd also like the row LED to update according to where in the sequence
the pattern currently is (if GT 8 steps long). OK, tiny thing that.

I'd REALLY like to step the sequencer from MIDI notes. Using an audio
trigger to do this is fine but you need to engineer a sound that will
trigger it reliably and I mostly want to do this to introduce subtle
tonal variations for solos. In this scenario I would want to be able
to route the four sequences so they control just sound parameters
(pulse width, filter etc.) and NOT notes. If you've used analogue step
sequencers, you probably know the effect I'm looking for. 

I'd probably also like a global option to make the sequencer's tuning
resolution semitones rather than quarter tones - for ease of
programming when no keyboard nearby.

But the thing I'd like most of all would be that Osc 3&4 waveforms
should be available as a mod destination. So, as per the Monowave for
example, you could control them directly via a MIDI control change or
velocity etc. Makes for some funky wavesequencing if using an external
sequencer.

One simple change to speed up access could be - instead of double
clicking the shift key to make shift "stick" - I'd introduce double
clicking of the relevant row button instead. Would be faster. 

I'd also like to be able to dial up a patch with the sequencer already
active and running. 

Finally, I'd like to be able to divorce sequencer note from sequencer
gates and direct gates to just the envelopes I want. I know this can
only be internal because of the nature of MIDI but it's a trick I
loved in the Nord Modular, for example. There may still be a way to do
this that I didn't find yet.

I've got some very sweet Moog-like solo voices so far and really enjoy
its use as a signal processor. It is my perception or is there a very
slight delay between hitting a key and the synth responding? We're
talking very subtle here but it doesn't feel as responsive as some
synths I have. Perhaps I need to examine the triggering - I wonder if
selecting "ALL" rather than MIDI triggering slows it down at all?

Have only had one "hang" so far where the synth stopped making any
noise. Powered off and on and all OK. Have not yet been able to
reproduce it.

Sorry this was rather long, I seem to be constantly thinking Evolver
thoughts these days <g>

Paul
---
Paul Nagle - SoftRoom Music - www.softroom.co.uk